Shape of Heart
by rajikka
Summary: In a world where everyone is given one half of a uniquely shaped necklace at birth, people spend their entire lives looking for their soulmate – the one who holds the other half. After 16 years of searching, Lovino is about to give up, until his other half walks into his life. (Romerica)
1. Ti Amo

Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just ship it.

Warning: swearing, male x male pairings, AU, and a touch of OOC (which I'll try to avoid the best I can).

This was inspired by a three-year-old and Star Wars. A kid I work with asked me what it would be like if hearts weren't hearts and could be whatever shape we liked best. Then Star Wars gave me the rest of the story when I saw a surprisingly cool couple's matching necklace (the ones that fit together and become a whole when together). Instead of being a heart and saying 'Best Friends' or 'True Love' it was shaped like the Rebel Alliance symbol with the memorable 'I love you/I know' combo engraved on it. The geek in me ooh'd. The fangirl in me ahh'd. The cheap bastard in me cursed furiously and added it to my wish list.

Lovino will explain the details of the necklaces in this story shortly, so I'll just let you know that even though they're called 'heart piece necklaces' they can come in any shape and form something completely different when combined. In this case, the 'heart' part is referring to the love-inducing organ, not the shape.

Also, here's your friendly reminder that this is AU and everybody's human. I wrote this for Valentine's Day, but whether it will actually get done on or before that day is another matter entirely ;)

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oOo

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"_People's souls come in all shapes and sizes. And as time goes on and a person grows, their soul can change. Their hopes and dreams can change. That's why…there isn't just one type of happiness…That's what we all want, isn't it? To find the person just for you, to find your own happiness…that would be wonderful, wouldn't it?" –CLAMP (A City With No People)_

The world is a strange and sometimes lonely place. If you're lucky enough to find the other half of your heart, the other piece of your soul, your one and only soulmate; you are very blessed indeed. When two halves of the heart piece are joined, you become complete. Emptiness and loneliness are erased from your heart and you begin to glow.

Metaphorically speaking of course.

In reality, things were much more complex. Even though people didn't always rely on necklaces given to them the day they were born to determine true love, Lovino had some faith in them. The accuracy rate was higher than the percentage of people Francis had tried hitting on (so over 98.6 percent) and people had to _really_ try to hate the person fate had in mind for them. Although Lovino wasn't familiar with the methods the doctors used to distribute necklaces at birth, he was grateful that his at least knew what he was doing. It made him shudder to think that even the slightest mix up and he could have ended up with his twin brother's necklace…which would leave him stuck with the potato bastard. And that was a fate worse than death.

Each individual had a special necklace with a unique shape called a heart piece. While it was not a literal part of your heart, it supposedly was connected to your feelings somehow. That little shape fit only one other person's in the entire world. Some people searched their entire lives for their soulmate while others were fortunate enough to meet them at a young age and spend their entire lives getting to know each other better.

Lovino ran his finger over the side of his own heart piece. It was under his shirt, but he could still feel the spirals and ridges of the cool metal. This was Fate's consolation prize. If Lovino couldn't have a special someone, at least his necklace was badass. His family often teased him about the upper portion of his heart piece resembling a devil's wing, but it was all in good fun (except for his token crazy aunt, who was convinced he was evil and in league with Satan himself) And speaking of his family…

The Vargas family was a bunch of romantics, headed up by Lovino's slightly nutty grandfather who lived and breathed everything Ancient Roman. To say this influence made family views a _little_ traditional was like saying the black plaque was just a rash. They believed in the power of wine winning over even the most uptight of lovers and the power of the necklaces bringing you your true love. Nothing else even came close. Every marriage in the family resulting from a unified necklace brought the couple happiness and good fortune. The earlier, the better; which was why Lovino still hadn't fully forgiven his brother for beating him so early in life.

_I can't believe the little idiot found the potato bastard when they were _three_ freaking years old! Don't these things have age requirements?!_

It had been the first time Lovino watched someone's dull, grey necklace interlock with another's, turning them both into a shimmering silver. The second little Ludwig inserted his very…phallic-looking necklace into tiny Feliciano's tear-shaped half of the necklace, Lovino had nearly been blinded by its radiance. Together, the duo had a perfect heart-shaped necklace that sparkled like no other. The damned _sun_ was easier to look at! At least, he was able to take some comfort in the fact that the potato bastard's stupid heart piece looked like a tiny cock…a fact the Italian frequently pointed out to him when the German was being a huge dick.

Lovino was currently on his way to meet said couple, but took his time. It was just a group project meeting. They could wait. It would be a small wonder if they even noticed he wasn't there. Whenever Feliciano and Ludwig were together, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. Even Lovino had to admit he was a little jealous (not that he'd ever admit it, of course). He'd spent all 16 years of his life searching for his special someone, but had no luck as of yet. If his soulmate was out there, he or she was in a galaxy far, far away. Lovino had never even experienced a flicker of warmth from his heart piece; heat being a sign that your destined one was near.

It used to get to him before, but now he was used to the cold metal brushing between his chest and his shirt with each step reminding him that he was that much further away from his soulmate. Over time, Lovino trained himself to stop angsting himself to sleep and to start hiding his heart piece under his clothing. That way he could feel it if it ever changed (yeah, right) and it stayed hidden from the sorry excuses for human beings who sought out "Greys" and teased them endlessly about not having completed their necklace and upgraded to silver.

"Hi, Lovino!" a pretty girl with short blonde hair pulled back in a green headband called him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Bella," he smiled back. He'd always had a soft spot for her. She was one of the few people who could actually get him to do something and the only reason he hadn't dropped out of school to join the Mafia by now. "What are you up to?"

"Not much, I was just on my way home," she returned the smile. "And you?"

"Group project with my brother and potato bastards 1 and 2."

"You're not keeping them, I hope?"

"Of course not, I'm always perfectly punctual," smirked Lovino, earning him a playful punch in the arm.

"Don't keep them waiting _too_ long."

"I won't…"

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oOo

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He never told anyone, but the reason he was always late to…well, _everything_ was because he purposely took the long route. That way, he had a better chance of finding his soulmate, despite how desperate it seemed. Or at least that's what he used to think. Currently, he believed he was destined to be alone, if the ice cold heart piece was anything to go by. That thing could be collecting frost for all the hard work and effort Lovino put into finding his special someone.

The Italian may have been doomed to be forever alone, but still took the scenic route to get around. He just chalked it up to habit by now.

"Lovino, you're late again," a stern voice acknowledged him as the brunette approached the picnic table his group was meeting at.

"Can't get anything past you, potato," Lovino sat down beside his brother, not bothered by the scolding tone Ludwig's voice was taking. He'd rather listen to that than watch him make out with his airheaded fratello again. Not all the brain bleach in the world could help him unsee or forget that horrible moment.

"We scheduled this time because it fit best into everyone's schedule. It's important to be on time, so we can finish the group project efficiently," Ludwig continued. "Weren't you listening to my instructions from the last meeting?"

"I was hanging on every word," the brunette pulled out a granola bar to snack on.

"I'm going to assume that was sarcasm?"

"Correct."

"So you weren't listening?" the German exhaled sharply.

"I'm barely listening _now_."

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oOo

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One of the perks to being Lovino was his lack of guilt towards others. Because he took so much crap for _everything_ in his life, he had no problem dishing it back out. Since most people found (or at the very least some evidence of) their soulmate before they were 15 (most families and schools took their kids/students on cross-country vacations or field trips under the guise of concerts, track meets, and museum tours specifically for that reason), Lovino often was teased about his heart piece necklace being the same cold metallic gray that it was the day he was born. Clearly, there must be something inherently wrong with him since his perfect twin brother managed to find his true love just after he learned how to toddle. He didn't even want to dwell on the things they said when comparing the brothers' polar opposite personas and abilities. Some of the people ripped on him just to be bastards, while others were his own bastard friends.

He couldn't spend a single morning forgetting about his troubles. Stupid Feliciano and his immaculately sparkling silver heart piece were always there to remind him. And of course, since Feli is a Vargas, and therefore a romantic, he would always go on and on about his theories about love. He'd always done so since the day he and Ludwig found each other so early in life. Lovino already had enough of that garbage.

"Don't worry, Gilbert!" Feliciano patted the albino's hand. "I'm sure you'll find your soulmate one day too!"

Lovino snorted and took a sip of his soda. He barely noticed Gilbert had arrived. Probably because he had done so quietly for a change. Gilbert was another member of the Forever Alone Club, but had been taking it a lot better than Lovi.

"I'm sure one day your heart piece will shine just as brightly as Ludwig's!" the sweeter Italian nodded enthusiastically. "You're already such a good guy, you'll be even happier and, um, _sparklier!_"

"If love is supposed to be so beautiful, why does the potato bastard's look like a tiny dick?" he asked as innocently as he could manage. On a scale of one to angelic, he would have scored a devil's smirking hellspawn.

"Lovi…" his fratello chided him, then softened. "You shouldn't worry about the necklace thing…You can still find someone nice."

"Yes, because the world is a perfect little picture book filled with happy endings."

"Pessimistic, much?" Gilbert chuckled.

"Whatever."

But Feliciano wasn't done. Once he started spreading his namesake happiness, he wasn't ready to stop until everyone was riding unicorns through fields of rainbows and candy.

"Ve, just look at our parents! They didn't have matching necklaces and they still got married!"

"Followed by a divorce seven years later," Lovino groaned resting his head in his arms.

"Lighten up, Lovi!" Gilbert patted the brunette on the back.

"Don't call me that."

The self-proclaimed Prussian didn't appear to hear him. Or he was just used to ignoring the tsundere's complaints. Either way, he winked and carried on in his joking manner.

"If you want to go on a date, I can always take you out to dinner."

"No way, albino potato," came the blunt response.

"Or we could stay in and you could make me a nice home-cooked meal!" he grinned widely. "Kesesese!"

"Now you just want to date me for my cooking?" Lovino rolled his eyes. "Sounds like a great thing to build a relationship on…"

"You want me to romance you?" Gilbert tickled the younger teen's chin and wagged his eyebrows slightly.

"How 'bout _no_, you stupid bastard?" the Italian swatted his hand away.

Gilbert was about to retort when he felt his chest heat up. No, it wasn't his chest, it was his _necklace_. Warmth spread from his chest to his toes upon that realization. It felt like his heart was doing a happy dance inside his chest. He looked up and watched a boy walk past him in the distance. His blond hair fell in waves just past his delicate ears and Gilbert felt the strangest urge to touch it. Was it as silky as it looked? Unfortunately, the boy didn't notice Gilbert all but drooling after him and continued walking.

"_Mein gott_…Did you see him?!"

"See who, bruder?"

"The blonde angel who just walked by…" the albino replied, still more than a little starry-eyed.

"Uh…" Feliciano began.

Gilbert jumped off the table, barely stopping to pat Lovino's shoulder.

"Sorry, Lovi, but I have to break up with you."

"Fine with me," he waved him off. "I never wanted you in the first place."

"Waaaaaait!" Gilbert tore off after the mystery boy. "Wait for me, my awesome Birdie!"

"I thought he was an angel?" Feliciano furrowed his brow.

"Idiot," the older Vargas snorted. He had the misfortune of knowing that Gilbert's pet name for his 'awesomely destined one' was 'Birdie.' It originated from the wing-shaped pattern on the albino's heart piece. Unlike Lovino's heart piece which only had a small wing on the top, Gilbert's looked like one half of an eagle's wingspan. But still…_Birdie?_ What kind of idiot gives their soulmate a stupid _nickname?_

As he watched Gilbert run off to make a fool of himself, he wondered what he would say to his own soulmate…assuming they ever met, that is. He'd spent so much time trying to track him or her down, that he never thought of what he'd actually say. Lovino wanted to meet the other person, but began to feel nervous when he realized he had no clue what he'd say or do.

_I wonder what my 'true love' even looks like…Hmm…probably Italian._

Someone who would love him without asking for anything in return… Someone who would love him even if he couldn't make their wishes come true… Someone who loved Lovino and Lovino alone… Did someone like that even exist? He figured they'd have to be a saint to put up with him.

As Gilbert rushed off, Antonio arrived at the table. He wasn't exactly part of their group project, but he always went out of his way to visit his friends.

"Wow! Gil took off in a hurry," he laughed. "Did Francis threaten to dye his hair again?"

"No!" Feliciano laughed, barely able to contain his excitement. "His heart piece _just _reacted! He's going to find his _soulmate!_"

Really?" excitement bubbled into Antonio's voice as well. "I'm so happy for him! I remember I was nervous when I first met Bella, but even then we knew it was true love.

"True love? Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Lovino. "I was there. You were both in 3rd grade. She was _babysitting_ me!"

"It was magical," the cheery Spaniard grinned.

"You bastards played House until it was time for her to take me back home!"

"Yes, she was the beautiful Mama, I was the handsomely strong Papa, and Lovi was the adorable baby..."

"I was _five_, dammit!"

"I can still remember the way my heart raced…" Antonio smiled whimsically. "I thought I was sick at first."

"Here we go…" the tsundere rolled his eyes, not pleased with the pace they were heading down memory lane. He'd almost rather be working on the group project. Almost.

"Bella made me happy just by standing near me! She made me feel special just by looking at me! She…"

Lovino tuned him out for about five minutes. He treasured his friends, he really did, but _goddamn_ could they get chatty. He always thought it was a pity Feliciano didn't end up with Antonio. They could entertain each other for hours just by _talking_. Even better if he didn't have to actively listen to either of them for hours on end.

"To find the person just for you is to find your own happiness!" Antonio finished with flourish.

"I-I had a similar feeling when Ludwig and I discovered our heart pieces fit together…" Feliciano turned a little pink with glee and glanced over to his boyfriend (who was doing his darndest not to make eye contact and be caught blushing himself). "It felt like we were glowing…!"

"That's great and all, but I'll be leaving before I become even more of a third wheel," Lovino tried to escape, but was scooped up into a bear hug, courtesy of his Spanish buddy.

"You just need to be patient and you'll find your somebody just for you ~ " Antonio squeezed him merrily, ignoring the sound of potential bones cracking. "You just have to believe in the words and they _will_ come true one day!"

Lovino managed to shrug out of the hug as Antonio raised his soda can. Slowly the others joined him.

"To the empowerage of words!"

"To the irony of that sentence."

"Cheers!"

"…" Ludwig could only facepalm.

Seconds after taking a long swig of strawberry-flavored…something, Lovino felt a sudden warmth in his chest. He stopped drinking to inspect the soda. Feliciano had picked up drinks for everybody as incentive to make it to the group meeting on time and had been known to choose some very…_interesting_ flavors in his time.

_Wait…I recognize this brand. I've had it before and nothing happened. _

His next logical thought was that he was hit with a heat ray and had only minutes to live. Bringing a hand up to his shirt to investigate what had to be the gaping hole in his chest, Lovino realized it wasn't his body that was on fire…it was his necklace. His green eyes shot up and raced across the courtyard, looking for anyone new or out of place.

_What the literal fuck? This can't really be happening…_

He was about to look back down when he laid eyes on a new student walking past the nearby fountain with blond hair, slightly tanned skin, enough muscle to make the potato brothers jealous, and the most gorgeous pair of sky blue eyes Lovino had ever seen in his entire life.

Maybe his brother had been onto something with the blonde hair/blue eye combo after all. The physical manifestation of all Lovino's hopes and dreams brought a hand to his heart piece as well. It wasn't long before his eyes met Lovino's. He smiled.

_If my heart is this warm…_

_If I can be this happy…_

_Then I have found him…_

_My someone just for me._

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oOo

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**A/N**

And there's chapter one! I have it outlined to be a short story, roughly three chapters. It's kind of a weird concept, but I figured I'd run with it. If there's anything confusing you, just let me know. It's simple fluff, so I will try my best to get this done by Valentine's Day/Massacre All Chocolates Day.

Next chapter is Alfred's take on the whole thing.

-Rajikka

**Translations: **

_Fratello _– Brother (It.)

_Idiota _– Idiot (It.)

_Tsundere_ – a type of character seen in anime or manga known for appearing cold or hostile, but having a hidden sweet side. "Tsun Tsun" is the aloof or irritable side, while "Dere Dere" is the lovey dovey side. (Jp.)

_Mein Gott_ – My God (Ger.)

_Bruder_ – Brother (Ger.)


	2. I Love You

_Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just ship it._

_Warning: swearing, male x male pairings, AU, and a touch of OOC (which I'll try to avoid the best I can)._

Wow! Thanks for all the support! I'm really glad you guys liked the concept more than I thought you would :)

Here's Alfred's chapter to go along with Lovino's. I always seem to make him play American football, so in this fic he's a baseball player.

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oOo

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_This city is just like all the rest._

_Being with them is fun. More fun than being with people._

_Nobody comes outside anymore. There are no people in this city._

_I will leave this city and go to another one._

_I hope that I will meet someone. Someone just for me. _

_-CLAMP (A City With No People)_

The world is a strange and sometimes lonely place. People used computers to communicate with people halfway around the world. They used their phones to talk to loved ones without seeing them face to face. The internet alone helped bring all the information in the world to the user. It was more convenient to rely on something so simple to do all the work for them; a tool to make life easier. They relied on it just as much as they relied on heart pieces to bring them their soulmates. The world is a strange and sometimes lonely place.

Alfred F. Jones was excited.

Some would argue that he was _always_ excited, but today was a special cause for his crazy caffeine- induced antics. Today, he was transferring to the one and only World Academy with his twin brother! To most, it would be nerve-wracking and overwhelming to be able to attend such a prestigious school, but not to Alfred. To him, it was the opportunity of a lifetime to play for the best high school baseball team in the nation. World Academy was his way into playing for a good college team and then professionally if all went well.

He was way too excited to be nervous.

Alfred wasn't a child anymore, so he tried to act like the mature young adult he was becoming. He started by waking up at the crack of dawn to jump on his bed for a half hour before stopping long enough to make coffee and return to doing backflips off the bed.

Not for the first time in their lives, his parents were grateful they had high ceilings at their place.

The Jones family lived in a modest countryside home in a rural area, miles away from the big city. Both boys had grown up there. They knew everyone in town and everyone knew them (when Matthew was visible, of course). It was the blessing and curse of being born and raised in a small town.

He had always wanted to move to a bigger place like Sekai City. Alfred didn't think there was anything wrong with his old town, he just needed to be surrounded by people and things to do every second of the day. Boredom was like poison for the energetic American.

The blonde drained his coffee and changed into his new school uniform. He haphazardly buttoned up the stiff shirt, but ignored the top three buttons near his collar and slipped on the tan sweater vest. The black tie was ignored completely. Alfred figured if he was going to be traveling three hours today, he may as well be comfortable. With that logic he donned his bomber jacket and headed towards the bathroom to brush his teeth.

While brushing, he stared at his reflection and wondered what his special someone looked like. Were they tall and lean like him or short and cuddly? Maybe his soulmate was tall and cuddly? Alfred hoped they liked hugging with all the hugs he liked to dish out. If that person was really his soulmate, he was sure hugging him or her all the time would be okay. He spat out his mouthfull of toothpaste and smiled again. He was looking forward to meet his true love one day.

_I wonder what Robin's doing right now…? _

He wiped his mouth and rinsed off his toothbrush.

_Are they brushing their teeth like me? Or maybe Robin likes to sleep in? _

Ever since he was six (and became obsessed with Batman) Alfred's codename for his soulmate was 'Robin.' He had since been spoken to by his brother that a 'soulmate' was different than a 'sidekick,' but Matthew still had doubts whether he really got through to him or not.

"You have to be their boyfriend, not their BFF!" he always told him.

Over time, Matthew had gotten the concept through Alfred's thick skull, but the endearing codename had stuck. Eventually, everyone gave up correcting him and just went with it, hoping he'd find his special someone soon.

In fact, Alfred had been diligently searching for his soulmate his entire life. The first 15 years had been a bust, but he was just as determined as ever to find him or her. It was his heroic duty! He had vowed never to give up! He was sure his soulmate was feeling sad or lonely because it was taking Alfred so long to find them…and that made _him_ feel a little sad. The sooner he found Robin, the faster they could be happy together!

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oOo

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By the time the rest of the population had woken up (and got out of bed without doing backflips), the townsfolk had been in and out of Alfred's house to wish him and his brother the best on their trip. Since the boys would be living in the school dorms, they wouldn't see their hometown again until Christmas.

"Now you take care, young man," Yao poked at Alfred's heart piece with a smirk. "Find the person who completes this, because you and I both know you're no angel, aru."

Alfred grinned, fond memories of chasing Yao's pet panda down the road, sneaking extra portions at his Chinese restaurant, and convincing customers that the people who tried to dine and dash were the secret ingredient in Yao's egg drop soup flashed through his mind.

"Yes, sir!" the blonde mock-saluted.

It was almost an inside joke Alfred had with his former boss about his heart piece. Alfred showed off his intricately curved necklace with great pride. The upper tip resembled an angel's wing. When he was younger, people assumed it was given to him because he was an angel.

But even then he knew better.

Alfred was a hero and always helped a person in need, but he was also a joker who loved pulling (mostly harmless) pranks on others. He knew without a doubt that the angel wing symbolized the person he was going to share his life with…Someone sweet, kind, and fun.

Even now, people still believed he had it because he was such an innocent, caring guy. He was the boy who lived down the road who knew how to fix cars and walk down the street, groceries in one hand, elderly person in the other. The nice kid going to school on a baseball scholarship, who would never _dream_ of causing trouble. No, sir. It was always funny to watch Yao (and occasionally Matthew's) reactions to people calling him a saint or an angel.

He half-expected his soulmate to have a devil wing or something on his or her heart piece to represent his troublemaking nature.

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oOo

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Because the boys were moving into the dorms, their mother and father took off work to drive them to World Academy. They wanted to see them off, Matthew needed the car ride to let it fully sink in, and Alfred needed the car space to fit his video game collection and life-sized model of Captain America's shield.

"You boys are going to have so much fun!" their mother beamed.

"It's not fair," Matthew pouted. "I already lived with Alfred for 15 years and now I have to be his roommate at school too?"

"Son, we already discussed this…" Mr. Jones tried to keep his straight face, but ended up grinning. "Your roommate is a good kid."

"My roommate is a slob."

"Your roommate can hear you and takes offense to that," Alfred jokingly punched his brother's arm.

"Ow! Al! I already told you that you don't know your own strength!" Matthew pouted. "I take it back, my roommate is a slob _and_ a brute."

"How can you say that, bro?"

"How can you bring every single video game you own with us to school?" sighed Matthew. "You know our dorm room is only so big, right?"

"But what if I meet my soulmate and they want to play a specific game?"

"If he or she even _likes_ video games…"

"Don't say that, Robin is going to be totally cool with my library of awesomeness!"

"Do you think you're funny or something?"

"I think I'm _adorable_."

At that point, Matthew decided it was faster to pass the time by ignoring his brain-damaged brother instead of arguing with him. That got him nowhere and his arm still hurt from Alfred's initial 'playful' punch. The hoser.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Not long after they passed through the school gates, Mr. Jones was directed towards the dormitories. He drove his family there after pulling over to remind his oldest son to refasten his seatbelt and stop bouncing in his seat. Alfred was able to click his seatbelt back in, but couldn't control his excitement at seeing his new school. He was like a puppy in a tennis ball factory. It was huge! There were people his age walking all over the campus with smiles on their faces, one of the study halls looked suspiciously like an arcade, and the baseball field…oh, man. They only caught a glimpse of it, but it was enough to convince Alfred that he had died and gone to heaven. Or possibly Iowa.

In the main lobby of the boys dorms, the twins were given their room number and a set of keys. The Jones brothers were on the second floor, but that didn't seem to faze Alfred. He had three-fourths of his stuff unloaded into the dorm room before the Resident Assistant even made it to their room to introduce himself…well, reintroduce himself.

"Bonjour!" a cheerful voice came from the doorway. "Do my eyes deceive me or is that little Alfie and Matthieu all grown up?"

"Holy crap, is that you, Francis?" Alfred laughed, setting down another box. "How's it going, man?"

"It's good to see you again," Matthew found himself swept up in a hug from his cousin. He had forgotten how touchy the boy was. Luckily, he managed to squirm away before Francis's hands traveled too far for his liking.

"_Oui!_ What a treat to see my _famille_ here at World Academy!" the Frenchman smiled, moving on to hug everyone in the room. "Auntie! Uncle! How do you manage to stay so youthful? You haven't changed a bit since I was a child!"

"Oh, Francis, that's so sweet of you to say!" Mrs. Jones gushed. Her husband wasn't as pleased.

"You haven't changed either…" he mumbled.

Francis began talking with them (in order to do the bare minimum of lifting boxes to help his cousins move in) about how he just informed the building coordinator of their arrival. A student guide would be on his way within the hour to give them a tour of the school.

"Naturally, I would have loved to give you the tour myself, but this floor just can't seem to function without me!" boasted Francis. "I'm sure they'll send someone nice though."

Alfred and his mother were impressed. Matthew and his father knew he was full of crap, but were too polite to call him out on it.

After everything had been moved in, the Jones brothers said goodbye to their parents. After promising to call and write (texting counts, right?) the boys waved them off in the main parking lot. While Mrs. Jones stood strong, her husband had the misfortune of getting dirt in his eye. Or was it allergies? He changed his excuse too many times to keep track. The blonde tried to take some comfort in the fact that he was almost positive he'd be getting a phone call within the week from campus police over some crazy stunt his son had pulled (releasing all of the frogs from the science labs into the cafeteria, adding hundreds of instant Jello boxes to the pool, anything was fair game, really. Alfred was creative), so he'd just _have_ to show up in person to discipline him. Mr. Jones regained his macho pride when his wife offered to drive for the first leg of their trip home, honked twice for the boys, and drove off.

"Uh, Francis…?" Matthew said reluctantly.

"Yes, mon ami?"

"You know that we're cousins, right?"

"Of course! Why?"

"So, please remove your hand from my back pocket…" he asked uncomfortably.

"You're so cute!" Francis patted his shoulder affectionately, but did as requested. "You both will have to rely on me to keep the other students from falling in love with you! Henceforth, you may both call me Big Brother Francis!"

"Cool!" Alfred beamed, having missed the first part of the conversation. He had been rocking on the heels of his feet, debating whether he should blow off the school tour and try to find the baseball field on his own.

"B-But I already have a big brother…" Matthew sweatdropped. "And he's a handful on his own."

Ignoring this, Francis guided them back to their dorm room, flopped onto their bunkbed, and began chatting their ears off. Alfred sat beside him, while Matthew pulled over a desk chair.

"I know you'll love it here! Lots of lovely ladies and gentleman to choose from!" he winked. "You may even find your true love!"

"Huh?" Alfred questioned. Relationships weren't really his area of expertise.

"You're soulmate, of course!"

"How did you know we still haven't found them?"

"Because your heart pieces are still dark grey!" Francis laughed. "Surely they at least taught you that in your small town?"

Alfred blushed a little and noticed the small heart shape his cousin wore around his neck was a beautiful silver.

"Wait, why is yours a different color?"

"You poor thing!" Francis hugged him. "They really didn't teach you anything out in the boonies, did they?"

"It's silver because he already found his partner," Matthew responded.

"Ohhh…" Alfred nodded in understanding. He must have forgotten. "Congrats, dude!"

"Thank you!" Francis smiled with pride. "I shall have to introduce you both to Arthur sometime. He's a bit of a spitfire, but he's great in—"

"—_Ahem_."

A stern voice greeted them at the door. An older boy with dark brown hair immaculately swept off to the side and a perfectly pressed school uniform looked at them like a disappointed father. Alfred couldn't help but notice the strange mole the new guy had too.

"My name is Roderich Edelstein," he nodded to the two newcomers. "I've been assigned to give you a tour of the school grounds."

"Nice to mole you," Alfred realized his mistake too late. "I mean _meet_ you!"

Francis chuckled while Matthew buried his face in his hands.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Fortunately, the tour had gone off without a hitch. Roderich was clearly annoyed by Alfred's constant questions and obsession with the baseball field as well as Matthew's rather bizarre tendency to get lost in a crowd, but he was able remain composed. If Francis had set the standard for students attending World Academy, Roderich had to raise it from sleazy to sophisticated. If these two newcomers were going to fit in, they needed to act like young adults, not like Francis or his two obnoxious friends. The brunette made a decision to keep the Jones brothers as far away from the Bad Touch Trio as possible. They, especially Gilbert, would be a terrible influence.

"So, uh, Roderich…" Alfred began. "About how much longer until we get to see the baseball diamond?"

"In due time, Alfred," their guide sighed. "We need to finish up visiting the classrooms on your schedules, so you know where to go tomorrow."

"Fine…" the blonde pouted. "But are we _almost_ done, because I really want to see the—"

"—_Indeed_," Roderich said through gritted teeth. His patience with the hyper 15 year old was beginning to wane.

"U-Um…" Matthew stammered.

"What?" Roderich replied a bit too sharply. He softened when he saw the younger brother flinch. "That is, what is it, Matthew?"

"I-It's nothing really, but didn't we pass this hallway already?"

"Eh?"

"I remember this wall of paintings," he gestured to the art display. "I was admiring the winter landscape piece earlier…"

"Yeah and I remember this one!" Alfred gestured to a cool-looking fiery sunset by someone named L. Vargas. He had wondered how the artist had made something so unreal look so natural and wouldn't it be awesome if the actual sun exploded into a new sun each sunset? He already liked the artist. Maybe they could be friends?

"…Oh."

"Roderich?"

"…Are we _lost?!_"

* * *

oOo

* * *

Despite insisting they were right where they needed to be, Roderich knew they were completely and utterly lost. It wasn't his fault he very rarely went inside the Science wing of the school. His studies all focused on music. He knew that area the best. Why would anyone take a class about dissecting rodents when they could learn the masterpieces of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven? Even _Chopin_ was better than this!

"What should we do?" Matthew asked.

"Don't worry bro, just leave it to the Hero!"

"Oh, boy…"

"You, there!" Alfred walked over to a group of students. "Could you tell us how to get to the—ack!"

Before Alfred could finish his question, his tour guide hastily grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and pulled him away. During their brief scuffle, Alfred couldn't help but notice the silvery heart piece necklace around Roderich's neck. It was a strange circle shape with two smaller circles cut out of the middle and connected by a thin line. If Francis was right, that meant that he had already found his soulmate. Silently, Alfred wondered what kind of person could deal with their tour guide's uptight, stick-up-his-ass behavior.

"We can't just ask someone!" the brunette hissed.

"Why not?" the blonde asked. "We're lost, aren't we?"

"W-We're not lost! I'm just reacquainting myself with the Biology hall before we move on!"

"Still as stubborn as ever, aren't you Roderich?"

The three boys turned their heads to the new voice, belonging to a tall, beautiful girl with long brown hair and bright green eyes.

"Elizabeta," the guide coughed, blushing slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I sensed my darling was in danger and came to help."

"Really?" Alfred asked. That was a pretty cool superpower.

"No!" Elizabeta laughed. "I happened to see Roderich walk into the Science wing of the building and figured something had to be horribly wrong."

"You weren't far off…" he mumbled. "I was assigned to show these two around, but I'm…I'm less familiar with this area of the school."

"Oh, well in that case, let me help you!" she beamed, knowing Roderich was too proud to ask for help. "I've had a few classes here before."

She glanced over the class schedules and was immediately able to get them back on track.

"Thanks Elizabeta!" Alfred grinned. "You really saved the day!"

"Yeah…" Matthew chimed in.

"You're assistance was appreciated."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie!"

Alfred couldn't help but laugh. The two upperclassmen were like a comedy act. He didn't think anyone could loosen up their stingy guide, but the laidback girl did with ease. When he tried to explain it, Elizabeta joined in on the laughter while Roderich shot him another disapproving look.

"Of course we get along!" he snorted. "We're soulmates after all!"

"Really?" both Jones brothers asked.

"Yep," Elizabeta happily fished her heart piece necklace out from under her uniform. "Roderich is the someone just for me!"

Her necklace was a beautiful silver music note. He wasn't sure, but Alfred thought it was a treble clef. Regardless, it fit in perfectly with the odd-looking circle cut out Roderich was sporting. Alfred had a whole new level of respect for the girl.

This level of respect reached the stars when she informed him they could go see the baseball field next.

* * *

oOo

* * *

This was perfection. The cool grass beneath his toes, the field that was bigger than his entire middle school, the gentle breeze carrying the smell of the ball park…In his mind, Alfred could see the stands around him filled with people. They were cheering his name as he hit the home run that won his team the game. Then his special someone would run down from the stands to congratulate him on his win. He'd hug his soulmate, dip them low over home plate, and kiss them like they'd never been kissed before.

"Is…is he okay?" Elizabeta asked, more than a little worried. Alfred had been lying motionless in the grassy field for awhile now. She and the others watched from the dugouts, mildly concerned as the blonde's wide grin only grew.

"He'll be fine," Matthew replied, playing around on his phone.

"But he's been out there for…at least 15 minutes…" Roderich glanced at his watch. "That can't be healthy."

"I didn't say he was _healthy_, I just said he would be _fine_."

* * *

oOo

* * *

After having toured over half of the campus, Roderich and Elizabeta brought the boys to the library. It had been an impressive area with seemingly endless towers and shelves of books. Matthew was in bookworm paradise and after ten minutes, Alfred was bored out of his mind. He loved books, he really did, but standing around and listening to Roderich drone on about when the library was built, each year additions were made, and when they installed a computer lab was putting him to sleep. Since they had already explored the baseball field, there was absolutely nothing motivating Alfred to pay attention. He needed a distraction before he was tempted to pull the fire alarm to escape Roderich's less than entertaining lecture.

His prayers were answered in the form of a small yellow bird.

"Wha-hey! My pen!" Matthew exclaimed.

"Huh? Where? Did you get mugged?" Alfred sprang out of his half-dozing state, looking around for suspicious people.

"That bird stole my lucky pen!"

The group stared at Matthew in disbelief.

"Uh…what?"

"That bird stole my lucky pen!" Matthew repeated. "There he goes, don't lose him!"

The group stared at Matthew take off after the speedy yellow bird before reluctantly following.

"Bro, it's just a pen!" Alfred said in a half-shout half-whisper, Elizabeta had already warned him about the crazy librarians.

"You don't understand! It's my _lucky_ pen!"

"I thought being eccentric was _my_ gimmick!"

"Shut up and help me catch him, hoser!"

Sadly, the yellow-feathered pen thief made use of the fact that humans can't fly without the jet packs his owner and buddies were trying to create. He flew out the highest window, pen nestled in his beak, leaving a very distraught Matthew behind.

"My pen…"

"Sorry, bro…"

"But it really _was_ just a pen," Roderich pointed out.

"Yeah, I'll lend you another one if it's such a big deal," Alfred offered.

"No, you don't understand…that was my lucky pen," Matthew's face fell. "The one I passed the World Academy entrance exam with…"

"Sorry, sweetie…" Elizabeta gave him a hug. "We can try to look for it again once we get outside. Maybe he dropped it somewhere?"

"O-Okay …"

* * *

oOo

* * *

The tour was great, but it felt nice to be back outside. Alfred let the sun warm him up as he stretched his arms. It must have gotten warmer since they went inside the main building, Alfred could feel his entire body tingle as the sun rays hit him.

"There he is!" Matthew exclaimed.

"Who?" Alfred looked around.

"It's the bird who took my pen!" the younger Jones brother pointed at the mischievous bird sitting on a bench with Matthew's ballpoint pen clenched menacingly in its beak.

"If you're going to go chase it down again, I'll wait for you here."

"If you were a _real_ hero, you'd help me catch it…" Matthew glared at his brother.

"That's low, bro…" Alfred frowned. "…Fine, I'll do it. You take point and I'll flank him."

Matthew nodded and took off, serious expression on his face. Roderich tried to convince them both how childish it was to go chasing off after a bird, when he realized who's bird it was. Where there was Gilbird, there was Gilbert. The worst possible person to introduce the two young and very impressionable transfer students to. Without a word, Roderich ran after Matthew in order to avoid a run in with the delinquent albino. The blonde didn't seem to notice and continued chasing after Gilbird, who hopped off the bench and into a tree. Matthew stood below it, trying to call the bird down.

"Poor kid," Alfred sighed, noticing it got remarkably warmer the longer he stood outside. It was strange that nobody else seemed bothered by it.

"Does this happen a lot?" Elizabeta asked with a giggle.

"Yep, he's lucky his big brother's the hero!" Alfred grinned. "I'm always bailing him out of trouble."

"How very noble," she laughed. "Are you okay? You look a little flushed…"

The blonde reached for his shirt to undo a few more buttons. The sun must have really been beating down on him. His entire chest felt like a furnace. He was way too young for heartburn, right?

"I'm alright, just a little warm ever since we got back out…side…"

As he popped open a button, his fingers brushed against his heart piece necklace. It was no longer cold.

"Alfred?" Elizabeta waved her hand in front of his face. It was like the baseball field all over again. "Alfred, you okay?"

"M-My necklace…it's warm!"

"Really?" Elizabeta exclaimed, bouncing in excitement. She instinctively reached for her camera.

_Let it be a hot guy… Let it be a hot guy… Let it be a hot guy… Let it be a hot guy…!_

"Elizabeta!"

"Y-Yes?" she startled a bit, pulled out of her thoughts.

"How will I know which one's my soulmate?"

"When you see him, you'll just _know_…" she smiled.

Alfred took out his necklace and walked a little farther, feeling it grow warmer and warmer in his hand. His own heart began to beat faster. He'd been waiting so long for this moment. Somewhere in the courtyard his soulmate was waiting for him. Just for him! But who…?

He locked eyes with a handsome brunette boy. Everyone around him seemed to blur together but the sun-kissed boy was crystal clear. The blonde couldn't pinpoint it, but something about him was different than the rest. He was special. The American crossed the grass, walking closer and closer to the brunette. Alfred still didn't know if this person was his soulmate. He didn't even know his name. All that he knew was the distance between the two of them was moving; and he wanted it to be smaller. He wanted to be closer.

The mystery boy's lips parted slightly as if he was about to say something to him. Alfred felt his pulse quicken. In addition to having the most amazing green eyes Alfred had ever seen, the boy was holding what looked to be the perfect fit to his own heart piece necklace.

"Robin…?"

_There is only one person just for me..._

_...and I still have not found him…_

_Are you…the person just for me?_

* * *

oOo

* * *

A/N: Chapter 2 down! Alfred's always so different to write than Lovino! Still fun, but bizarre in comparison XD Sorry this jumped around so much. I had a lot of time/info to cover and only a chapter to do it.

Now I just need to finish the final chapter about these two cuties actually meeting before Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day!

-Rajikka

**Translations: **

_Sekai _– World (Jp.)

_Bonjour_ – Hello (Fr.)

_Oui_ – Yes (Fr.)

_Famille_ – Family (Fr.)

_Mon ami_ – My friend (Fr.)


	3. Always

Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just ship it.

Warning: swearing, male x male pairings, AU, and a touch of OOC (which I'll try to avoid the best I can).

Here's the final chapter delivered a little early, just for you guys ;)

* * *

oOo

* * *

_Hopefully, he will find them._

_The things that I can do because I am me. The things that I can't do because I am me._

_That person will find them._

_And then, hopefully he will love me...because I am me._

_Out of all people and all of them...I want him to find me._

_And I want him to love me._

_-CLAMP __(A City With No People)_

The world is a strange and sometimes lonely place. When you can only see in cold steel and dark grey there isn't much to look at. Everything is the same. Everything is empty and boring. Or maybe that's just a thing of the past now?

Lovino could feel his mouth run dry when the blonde haired boy rushed over. His heart piece rested in his hand and grew steadily warmer with each footstep the newcomer made towards him. Lovino's own heart started beating more rapidly. Was this the someone just for him? His other half? The blonde was clearly his better half if his bright expression and perfectly sculpted body were anything to go by. Lovino could feel his face turn bright red and knew he couldn't do anything about it.

_I-Is this really happening?! Chigiiiii!_

Alfred couldn't contain his excitement. It was almost as if there was a spark inside him that refused to go out. Standing not ten feet away from him was the person he was destined for. After all this time, all this searching, he was finally standing in front of him. Before Alfred could say anything, the brunette spoke up. Or tried to anyway.

"A-Are you—"

Lovino never got a chance to finish his sentence before being pulled into a tight hug.

"I finally found you!" Alfred gave him another squeeze before stepping back, his arms still wrapped loosely around Lovino's torso. Everything about the green-eyed boy felt _right_ to him. "You're perfect!"

"W-What are you talking about, bastard?" Lovino blushed, pushing the strange blonde back (and most definitely didn't let his fingers linger on the other's broad chest). "We just met ten fucking seconds ago! You don't know that!"

Alfred reached for Lovino's hand and brought their heart pieces together. It was a perfect fit. A pulse of energy whirred from inside the now-complete necklace and the dull grey color began to glow brightly.

"Told you so!"

Lovino could only watch as the light faded, taking the old grey shade with it. In its place was a dazzling silver.

_No…it's better than silver_…

Hell, when he and the boy beside him combined their heart pieces, it turned _platinum!_

"Alfred F. Jones."

"Huh?" the Italian looked up.

"That's my name," the twinkle in the blue-eyed boy's eyes was practically dancing. "What's yours?"

"Lovino…Lovino Vargas."

"Lovino…" Alfred repeated, trying out the new name. He decided that he liked the way it rolled off his tongue. "You're even cooler than I imagined!"

"I-I…" before he could finish his response, he was yet again pulled into a tight hug by his soulmate.

Although he was thoroughly embarrassed, Lovino allowed the slightly taller boy to hug him. They were still practically strangers, but he could feel his muscles relax and lose all the tension that had built up during the day. Slowly, Lovino raised his arms to gently return the hug. When he felt Alfred slightly nuzzle his hair, he closed his eyes and—

"Ve~! You two are so cute together!" Feliciano squealed, unknowingly reminding the newly formed couple that they were not alone. "Right, Toni?"

"So cuuuuuuuute!" the Spaniard agreed, practically bouncing up and down.

And just like that, the mood was killed. Shot in the head, even.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Owww!" Alfred rubbed his sore forehead, where his special someone had just headbutted him. The feisty brunette was stronger than he looked. "Why'd you do that?"

"Me?!" exclaimed Lovino. "Why the hell did _you_ suddenly hug me? We don't even know each other, dammit!"

"That's not true," Alfred stood tall again. "We know each other's names and more important, we know that we're soulmates!"

"Awww…" Feliciano cooed from the sidelines.

"Shut up!" Lovino snapped at both of them, but turned towards his fratello. "Don't you have anything better to do than spy on people, you little pervert?"

"B-But fratello, _he_ came to _you_!" Feli whined. "We just happened to be here too. And it's not like you two kissed yet or anything…"

"Ohmygod! Thatwouldbesocuuuuuute!" Antonio couldn't contain a squeal. He was so overwhelmed by happiness that his little henchman had finally found true love. It was an added bonus that the two of them looked so adorable together. "Do it! Do it!"

"Che cazzo?!" the older Italian hissed. "Why am I surrounded by freaks?!"

Alfred deflated slightly. Robin looked really upset all of the sudden. Had he done something to make him mad? All he did was hug him…and he felt the Italian hug him back.

_Maybe Lovino's really shy…?_

But as he watched his adorable brunette loudly and colorfully curse out his younger brother and the spacey upperclassman, he somehow doubted that was it.

"Uh, look, Robin, I'm not sure exactly what I did to make you mad, but I'm really sorry," Alfred began, placing a calming hand on Lovino's shoulder. He didn't want his soulmate to be upset with him. "I'll make it up to you if you tell me what I did."

The Italian could only stare at him in wonder.

"_What_ did you call me?"

Alfred realized his mistake. He wasn't quite used to calling his special someone by his actual name yet. Oops.

"Sorry," the blonde laughed. "My codename for you has always been Robin, so—"

"You gave me a _bird_ nickname?" Lovino felt his face heat up. This had to be some sort of divine punishment for always making fun of Gilbert's petname for his own soulmate. Fate was such a bitch.

"No, no!" Alfred laughed, taking in how cute Lovino looked when he was embarrassed. "It was Robin from _Batman and Robin!_"

"That's even worse!" the tsundere fought the urge to throttle the American. He might be good-looking, but he was a huge dork.

Before things could escalate more, Elizabeta stepped in. If these two were ever going to hug so affectionately again, she had to get them out of the open. As she learned with Arthur and Francis, tsunderes were ticking time bombs when uncomfortable in public. And when romantic feelings were brought up, tsunderes seemed to turn into _tigers_, going from zero to _insane_ in a matter of seconds. They needed to go somewhere relaxing and Elizabeta needed to swap out the SD card on her camera to make more space.

"Congratulations, you two!" She smiled brightly.

"Thanks, Elizabeta!" Alfred responded, just as cheerfully.

"You two know each other?" Lovino asked, confused.

"Alfred just transferred in today," the matchmaker answered for him. "I was showing him around earlier with Roderich. Maybe you could take him somewhere a little more private? I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."

"Hmph, not a bad idea…" Lovino sighed. Even though Elizabeta was kind of…_intense_ sometimes, she was still a girl and Lovino's Italian blood made him nothing short of a gentleman to the ladies. "C'mon bastard, I know a café nearby…"

"Sure, sounds good," Alfred's smile returned as the blushing brunette tugged on his sleeve and pulled him off in the direction of the café.

"Have fun ~!" Elizabeta waved happily as the couple strolled away.

"U-Um, Elizabeta?"

"Yes, Feli?"

"Why is your nose bleeding?"

"Huh? Oh. Never you mind that!" She laughed it off and began walking off. "I'll see you two later!"

She pretended to walk back towards the dorms, immediately changing direction when she was out of Feli and Ludwig's sight. Of the four coffee shops within walking distance, Elizabeta knew that Café Dolce was Lovino's favorite. She tore off in that direction while texting her two closest friends.

_**Commence Operation Tomato Tarantella at Café Dolce ASAP!**_

* * *

oOo

* * *

Alfred wasn't sure when, but at some point during their little stroll, Lovino's hand slipped from his sleeve and brushed against his hand. He also wasn't sure who took the other's hand first. It happened so naturally, that neither seemed to notice right away. All Alfred knew was that he was happier than he could ever remember.

The couple passed by school buildings, a large dorm building, a small park, and finally the school gates. It seemed like a strange way to go, but Alfred was a tad bit worried about offending his newly-found soulmate…again. After another ten minutes, he finally spoke up.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Cheh, of course we are," Lovino snorted. "This is just the scenic route."

"Cool," Alfred nodded, as much as he wanted to sit down and get to know Lovino better, this was nice too. They had been making some small talk about families, classes, and the people passing them during their walk, but enjoying each other's company more than anything. "And here I was worried about your sense of direction."

"You can relax," Lovino rolled his eyes. "I usually take the longer roads to get places…it's just a habit by now."

Alfred wondered what he meant by that. His Robin didn't look like the outdoorsy type…then it clicked. Why would someone who didn't like interacting with others go out of his way to surround himself in people? _Because he was looking for someone._ Lovino had been looking for Alfred…that made the blonde's heart skip a beat.

"You really are amazing!" Alfred beamed at Lovino. "Thanks for never giving up hope."

"You lost me, bastard."

"Even after all this time, you were still searching for me. You never gave up hope!"

"How do you know?" Lovino scoffed, turning away so Alfred didn't see the color stain his cheeks. "I'm not exactly optimistic."

"It might be easy to overlook, but…" the blonde squeezed his hand. "You must have had some hope or you wouldn't have taken the long way to get places."

_Cheh, maybe he's not as dumb as I thought…?_

He stole a glance at his special someone, who was already watching him with a bright smile and carefree expression. How Alfred could say such logical statements while grinning like a fool was a mystery he'd have to solve another time. Unless the devil-may-care attitude was just an act.

"You okay, Lovino?" Alfred tilted his head, airheaded confusion in place.

_Nope. He's an idiot. He just got lucky!_

Lovino was so embarrassed, he wasn't able to look his soulmate in the eye for the rest of their walk.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Lovino felt a lot better in the familiar café than out on the streets with some stranger he was apparently destined for. Sure. No pressure.

"So what do you usually order, Robin?" Alfred asked, happily paging through the menu.

First things first. Lovino had to do something about that obnoxious nickname.

"Stop it."

"Huh?"

"That nickname," the Italian clarified. "Stop calling me by it."

"I'll try," Alfred replied. It would be hard to stop calling him that, since he'd been referring to his soulmate as 'Robin' for nearly 10 years…but if it made Lovino feel better…

"Don't try; do."

"You got it!" Alfred shot him a thumbs up. "Hero's honor!"

"…What?"

"Hero's honor, my code as the Hero," the blonde smiled as if it was the most obvious thing in the world before proceeding to order a Caramel Chocolate Mocha. He noticed his soulmate staring at him strangely, so he elaborated. "Because _I'm_ the Hero."

Lovino wasn't quite sure where to begin with that one – the fact that Alfred was referring to himself as a hero or the fact that he felt the need to order even more chocolate in his mocha. Since he knew the waitress, he ordered quickly in Italian to fully express the urgency of the extra shot (or two) of espresso he needed. This was a family-run café and he was a regular, so he knew he was in good hands. He mentally added improving Alfred's taste in coffee to his to-do list, trying to ignore the giddy feeling bubbling inside him. The brunette had never had to include other people in his own to-do list ever since he'd given up all hope on his brother gaining any semblance of common sense. Soon after, the waitress brought them their drinks and Alfred asked what Lovino ordered.

"Wow, a double shot of espresso? You're hardcore, man!"

"I'm going to need it to make it through this…"

"Nervous?" Alfred blew on his coffee and took a sip.

"Maybe," the brunette admitted, rolling his eyes.

"So is this like our first date?" grinned the American, wrapping his fingers around his coffee cup.

"What? No, of course not!" Lovino growled, having nearly choked on his beverage. "This is just a…a business meeting!"

"Really?" Alfred laughed at this.

"Yes, really!"

"I guess that's alright, I want our first date to be extra-special…"

"S-Stop saying things like that, bastard!"

"What, you don't want to go out with me?" Alfred looked hurt, flashing his impossibly blue kicked-puppy eyes at the brunette across from him. Lovino felt like he'd just been stabbed in the chest with his own stirring stick.

"Fine, we can go out, but I'm laying down some boundaries first."

"Okay!"

"Rule 1— I do _not_ do pet names," Lovino held up a finger. "Those things creep the shit out of me."

"Like Sweetie-pie?"

"Right."

"Or Shnookums?"

"Ugh. Yes."

"Honeybunches? Sexypants? Sweetcheeks? Kissybear?" Alfred continued.

"…Where do you come up with this crap?"

"Francis is my cousin."

"Rule number two - Keep your perverted extended family far away from me."

"I can do that," Alfred scratched his chin. Most of his extended family lived several cities away.

"And number three…none of that weird lovey-dovey bullshit."

"What qualifies as weird lovey-dovey bullshit?" Alfred raised his hand.

"If you think my idiot brother and the potato bastard will do it; that makes it weird lovey-dovey bullshit."

"They seemed nice enough to me."

"Just wait until you hang out with them long enough," Lovino shuddered. "It gets creepy. They start to know exactly what the other one is—"

"—Thinking?"

"Yeah, and they're always finishing each other's—"

"—Sandwiches?"

"Exactly. So don't try it."

"Noted."

* * *

oOo

* * *

Time passed slowly in the café, but neither boy noticed until night had fallen and it was time for the café to close. They paid their waitress and left the building together. Again their hands found each other as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Maybe it was?

"H-Hey, Lovino?"

"What, hamburger bastard?"

"There's…uh, there's always been one thing I wanted to do the day I met the person who was destined for me…" this time it was Alfred whose cheeks were rosy.

"What's that?" Lovino arched an eyebrow slightly. He hadn't seen the American's embarrassed side yet.

"Could I…uh…that is, if we're going out now it shouldn't be a big deal, but I…"

"Spit it out already."

"W-Would it be okay…if…if I…"

Lovino blinked and blushed slightly once he understood what Alfred was trying to ask.

"Oh, for the love of…" He grabbed Alfred's collar "You are such an idiot!"

Lovino pulled him forward, crashing their lips together. For an instant everything else vanished and the only thing that existed in their little world was each other. Alfred deepened the kiss, pulling Lovino closer to his body. The Italian ran his hands through the blonde's hair, until they rested at the base of his neck. When they finally pulled away from each other, both were a little flushed and out of breath.

"That was even better than I imagined!" grinned Alfred.

"Y-Yeah…" Lovino managed to reply.

"I love you, Robin…" Alfred grinned wider and felt Lovino punch him in the arm.

"Ti amo, bastard…"

_All I want right now, more than anything else..._

_...is to be with him._

_The glow inside is brightest when that person is near..._

_...and the pain inside hurts more when he is away._

_I am happiest when I think about that person..._

_...I am saddest when I think about that person._

_That person makes all my feelings more intense._

_That must be what love is._

_-CLAMP (A City With No People)_

* * *

oOo

* * *

A/N

Thank you everyone who supported this fic! I had a lot of fun writing it! Sorry if it seemed a little fast-paced for a couple who had just met. Part of that was because this was only 3 chapters. Another part of that was in this world, heart piece necklaces are incredibly accurate and relied on by the majority of the population. If it led you to someone, odds are good you'll be happy with him or her. That's partially why Alfred was so trusting and immediately got along with Lovino. I tried to make our little tsundere more reluctant and less comfortable with the idea of love at first sight, even though he clearly had feelings for Alfred and trusted his heart piece. So, yeah! Hopefully it worked out alright ^^

There have been a few requests to create a prequel or possibly a sequel to this story, so let me know what you think. I hadn't officially planned anything, but if enough people want more from this universe, I'll see what I can do :)

-Rajikka

**Translations: **

_Fratello _– Brother (It.)

_Idiota _– Idiot (It.)

_Tsundere_ – a type of character seen in anime or manga known for appearing cold or hostile, but having a hidden sweet side. "Tsun Tsun" is the aloof or irritable side, while "Dere Dere" is the lovey dovey side. (Jp.)

_Dolce_ – Sweet (It.)

_Tarantella_ – A popular folk dance from South Italy with a fast, upbeat tempo. It can be danced by a couple or group of couples, who don't have to be the opposite sex. Often times it's done as a courtship dance or swordfight imitation (both of which I thought were appropriate for our little tsundere ^^)


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